Economic changes and technologic progress of any country results in the necessity to acquire, in accordance with current needs, new abilities, usually obtained by university studies. Traditional education requires students to travel to an education center, often distant from their homes, frequent commuting and organizing of time for participation in daytime, evening or week-end classes, can significantly increase the cost of study for some and limit the time available to study for others. As a result, many segments of the population, desirous to improve their qualifications, particularly those working, raising children, physically handicapped or with limited financial means have little opportunity to follow a traditionally conducted education.
The progress and development of informatics has provided unlimited possibilities of application for distance education, resolving the above problems, and making education available for a considerably larger segment of the population. New computer technologies provide quick access to extensive data sources and databases (Internet), new communication means (e-mail, chat, voice mail, videoconferencing) and work tools, including better and constantly improved software and hardware.
These advantageous properties offered by new technologies have resulted in the very fast development of new remote learning methods and an enormous increase the growth of the number of on-line students. In tracing the requirements for distance education using technology, a number of systems and methods for teaching, utilizing electronic means of data processing, transfer and communication, have been proposed.
U.S. Patent Application No US 2001/051330 A1 by Futakuchi, describes an apparatus and a method for providing remote teaching. The apparatus is comprised of a question database, an answer database and a comment database as well as a control unit, connected via the Internet to the students' personal computers. The system determines, whether the answer to a given question is right and generates an appropriate comment.
U.S. Patent Application No US 2002/0018984 by Ho et al. relates to a method and a system of learning based on questions and answers. After working on the study materials presented by the system, the user introduces a question into the system, which generates and presents an answer. Then the system compares the questions with those previously entered, to determine his level of understanding of the subject and to select appropriate study materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,330 to Ho et al. describes a computer-aided learning method and system based on tests. The system is provided with a recommendation generator which may have a form of a software, hardware or some combination of both. The generator is configured to assess user's understanding of the subject.
U.S. Patent Application No. US 2001/0039002 to Delehanty, describes a system and a method for implementing and managing training programs over a network of computers. The system comprises computers of the server-client type, while the server contains a user database, an actionable database and reference database. The system and method enable training by means of the Internet and a web browser. When a user follows the training, the system monitors the student's results and enables the web administrator to determine in real time the student's progress and add additional materials of study if a need for supplementary education is perceived. During the training, the administrator may communicate with the user directly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,974 by Carlile et al. relates to a learning system to be used by authors, teachers, students and education administrators. Within this system, a student, while studying a displayed subject matter, may check the degree of their knowledge using tests that are provided and the results of those tests are displayed together with an assessment of the student's knowledge of the subject matter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,632 by Chao et al. relates to a computer-aided learning method, allowing a student to select an appropriate instructor for learning a language and vice versa. After the student's choice of instructor has been made, establishing a connection between them occurs and then automatic management and payment collection for the session.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,960 to Frasson et al. describes a method of providing a learner with information, during a session of automatic distance learning using the Internet. The method comprises an automatic selection of learning strategy, determination of a need to use help data, being a separate part of educative information, and their selective presentation. When using a model of an automatic learner, possible difficulties are revealed, then, on this basis, explanations from a local database or the web are provided.
PCT/IT01/00336 (WO 02/09065) by Valenti relates to a computer-implemented didactic method, which is comprised of the following steps: a user connecting to a central management system; downloading from the central management system the program-environment to their computer (if not already available); checking the student's registration in the system (if there is none, it is started); the user obtaining data files containing educational material for subjects to be studied and possible extension programs; creating for each user a personal download area; disconnecting the user from the system; and activation of the data files for realizing a training session.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,813 by Siefert and U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,883 by Siefert and U.S. Patent Application No. US 2001/0018178 by Siefert describe a computer-assisted education method, in which individual learning profiles for every student are maintained, including their capabilities, preferred learning style, and progress. Based on the student's profile, the system's administrator selects an appropriate material for each student, during each learning session. Then the administrator assesses if the student has mastered the material. If not, a presentation of the material explained differently follows and in the case of a student continuing to fail to master the material, the administrator establishes a videoconference between the student and a lecturer. Learning programs and education material are contained in master computers, accessible via a communication network. The invention is applicable for known education programs and known management systems.
Computer-based, interactive learning method and system, permitting application of various teaching techniques, adapted to individual abilities and needs of the students is disclosed in PCT/US00/32960 (WO 01/43107) to Koneru et al. The system includes students' computers, teachers' computers and a remote server, containing several databases consisting of exams, tests and vocabulary, detailed student information and their individual learning schedule and teaching profile, as well as information of the teachers, interconnected by a web. For each student is created an individual homepage with a graphic interface, containing among other things questions, tests, exams, study subjects and helpful tools. Electronic mail, fax and voicemail remain at a disposal of the system's users.
UK Patent No. 2 368 710 to Dugdale at al. discloses computer-readable CD-ROM disc media, containing data grouped in sections and at least one URL address for communication with an active server page, which contains a database of external links corresponding to specific keywords within a given section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,178 relates to a remote education method and apparatus. Students connect via the Internet with an education server, which contains an educational program, including individual progress data for each student. The remote education method is comprised of a student selecting required learning procedures in an Internet homepage of the education server, consequently finding data related to the procedure selected and then creating an educational homepage, with the assistance of which the student implements his study. Upon completion of the study, the student answers tests, which are then analyzed by the server and upon analysis of the results a direction for continuing study is indicated.
PCT/US01/42230 (WO 02/25619) by Crilly describes a method of adaptation of educational standards in different states and regions, comprising the steps of providing each class with a computer and DVD disks containing educational aids in the form of video and audio, connecting the computer with a World Wide Web, from which are taken additional educational aids, lesson plans and projects, being relevant to the particular operating location, and presenting the educational material, together with that contained in DVD disk, to the students in a classroom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,528 by Young et al. describe a remote teaching method and system. Each student is provided with a CD-ROM disk, containing an educational material in various formats and a software, with the aid of which, the student's computer may connect with a central computer to download appropriate data, particularly those updated in relation to the data contained in the student's CD-ROM disk.
Interactive method for distance education using a computer network is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,444 to Aggarwal et al. The method comprises the steps of student registration to a chosen virtual class on a main server, downloading from this server of an educational material by an instructor and sending it before starting the lesson to all students of a given class. After start of the lesson, the instructor controls, on the server level, the students' computers where the educational material is presented. The student interface contains windows, where various information is displayed, including the material presented, video pictures, e.g. that of a real classroom, as well as students' questions to the instructor and his answers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,840 by Sallette relates to a system and method for distributed learning by means of computer systems and a communication network such as Internet. The system includes a server with which are connected a presenter, presenting an educational material, and the users' computers, coupled to the server via Internet. The presenter's interface includes a few windows and tools intended to configurate the presentation. Individual windows are provided for a list of information sources for the presentation, like films, homepages or slides, for an information about material presented and about the presenter, a window for communication with students, e.g. by means of chat, as well as two windows for presenting two streams of educational material of which one serves for video-presentation. Users' interfaces include similar windows.
Another method of on-line education in the frame of an open virtual university is disclosed in PCT/US01/40102 (WO 01/61670) to Wheeler. The educational system is created by various universities and schools, sponsors, students and an interconnected intermediary, being for instance a virtual medical school, an Internet provider or a governmental agency. A program of the studies includes lectures on various subjects, which are presented to the students by several institutions by means of the intermediary and the Internet. Sponsors, for instance a pharmaceutical firm or a health organization, cover at least partially the costs of the system's implementation, which reduces the students' education costs. Studies maybe divided in two stages, of which one includes the on-line education and the second stage is conducted on campus upon satisfying completion of the first stage.
Yet another system and method of on-line education is disclosed in PCT/US00/17979 (WO 01/01372) to Alcorn. The system includes a server, connecting students' and instructors' computers via a network. The server contains course files, accessible for registered users in accordance with their authorized access level. Course files include announcement and information files, documents, exercise files and communication files. On-line education comprises the steps of generating by the course instructor of a set of course files, transferring the files to a server for storage, and making access to the files to a group of students being registered for that particular course. During the course, the instructor selects, from a batch of available files, appropriate exercise files or creates such files and adds them to those existing, and transfers these to the students for resolving. Upon resolution of the exercises, the students create answer files, transfer them to the instructor which evaluates them and presents to the students a list of ratings. The instructor has at his disposal several tools, such as those for creating the course, for the presentation of educational material in an appropriate format, a list of Internet links, chat, electronic mail and similar tools, permitting him to conduct the course by various techniques.
UK Patent No. GB 2 334 119 A by Young et al. refers to a teaching method and system, in which are used CD-ROM-s with educational material and software for managing educational material, communicating with another computer to obtain access to other parts of the educational material as well as for downloading material updates and tests.
The systems and methods of remote education, described above most often relate to a fully automated teaching to obtain or improve a knowledge upon a given subject, hence to a fragmentary education. They are adapted to a fast and easy means of gaining knowledge, with the assistance of computers and communication networks, with lack or considerable limitation for the participation of highly qualified persons, e.g. a university lecturer. Although a majority of known remote education systems and methods have several advantages, it is not possible to apply them directly for teaching students in accordance with high level traditional education programs. For this purpose it is necessary to develop a coherent education system including the whole program of the studies, which should be the same as in the case of traditional studies and should ensure a high level of education, with frequent contacts between the students and the lecturers. Thanks to this, it will be possible for the students to gain the same knowledge and qualifications as in traditional studies.